You may remember the post from our pal J.B on how to build your own stainless steel fender, here’s another run through on how to put a rib in a fender by hand. Click on read more to Dig in.

Ok, so I didn’t document the first steps but I think you’ll be able to infer. Grab a junk fender ( in this case a scratch built stainless steel one) and beat the sides in going from the top. This will cause the fender to form tucks wich you will planish thus leading you to where I’m at in the pic above.

These early stages are all about definition. Your trying to define the ridge by pushing “up” from the bottom (wacking the center line with a ball peen from behind). This will cause the rest of the sheet metal to follow creating a radius that is triangular. To fix the now “odd” looking triangle I beat the peice from the top bumping the sides along the edge of the bubble that is to become the ridge.

“Up from the bottom down from the top” over and over all the while keeping an eye on the overall shape. Don’t dig a hole for yourself…check the shape often! Try to keep the bubble/rib straight and centered.

Adding more definition

Its not just you…That is one crooked ribb…

Now I started this project on a whim, I was bored and just felt like banging some sheet - the fender just happend to be closest to my hand. Had I taken the time to map out and lay down some sharpie lines/guides yatta yatta yatta…Its fixable! She will be straight!!!

I work the fender from the top. I’ve found what I feel to be the center (Says my eye) And started caving/trapping the now very pronounced ribbing until straight and centerd…

This and a hammer = smoother surface and when done right a can also produce a deeper looking ribb with cleaner lines…Any dollie will do..This is all I had

Even though the edges are already rolled I thought it would be cool to “flare” them to give the illusion of a wire edge…Not there yet

(more to come as this progresses…)